Electric iron with heat indicator



May 2l, 1940. c. H. sPARKLlN 2,201,745 v ELEcTRIc IRON wITH HEAT INDICATOR Filed March 2o, 1939 2 sheets-sheet 1 .May 21, "1940, c. H. sPARKLlN 2,201,745

- ELECTRIC IRON WITH HEAT INDICATOR I Filed March 20, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /6 i ZZ Patented May 21, 1940 UHT Charles H. Sparklin, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Birtman Electric Company, Chicago, Ill., a. corporation of Illinois Application March 20, 1939, Serial No. 262,948

l Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in electric irons and more especially a hand iron.

Among the features of my invention is the provision of a heat indicator easily visible at all times whether the iron is in use, or idle, either in the horizontal position or vertical position. Heretofore, lt has been customary to put the heat indicator on the top of the iron. In this position it is obscured by the hand of the operator and also by the handle even if the iron is released. In the practice of my invention the heat indicator is put at the side of the casing Where it is readily visible both from the top and side of the iron and not obscured by the hand of the operator.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of actuating means for the heat indicator in fixed thermal relation to the sole plate in the casing. I-leretofore, the actuating means has not been in xed thermal relation to the sole plate and consequently the heat indicator did not act uniformly with respect to variations in the temperature of the sole plate. This objection has been overcome by my improved device.

Other features and advantages will appear more fully as I proceed with my specification.

In that form of device embodying the features of my invention, shown in the accompanying drawings-Fig. l is a view in side elevation; Fig. 2 is a top plan View with the handle and most of the casing removed; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view; Fig. 4 is a top plan View of the sole plate showing the bi-metallic element; and Fig. 5 is a view taken as indicated by the line 5 ol Fig. 3.

As shown in the drawings, the iron comprises the sole plate l with the dome-shaped casing II thereon, on which is supported the handle I2 by means of the front and rear handle supports I3 and It respectively.

I5 indicates a casting mounted on the sole plate, having a `central recess I6 to form a space for the accommodation of the heat indicating mechanism. This space is enlarged by the cavity I6 in the sole plate.

I'I indicates a `bi-metallic thermal element lying in the cavity IB attached at one end to the sole plate by the screw I8. The free end I9 of the element I'l is provided with a slot 2l) embracing the pin 2| attached to the short double arm 22 of the bell crank which carries the long arm 23. The bell crank is pivotally mounted between4 the upper and lower arms 24 and 25, respectively, carried by the casting l5. These arms carry the bearing blocks 26 and 2"! respectively between which is pivotally mounted the spindle bearing 28 which carries the bell crank comprising the long arm 23 and the double short arms 22, 22 above described.

(Cl. I3-343) The free end of the long arm 23 carries a iiag 3l! which is visible through the arcuate slot 3l in the side oi the casing Il when the iron is operating. As shown in Fig.- 2 the iron is cold and the flag or signal 3G has moved beyond the limits of the slot 3l. Obviously, however, the slot 3l may be made as long as desired, and the range ofv movement of the member 30 can be made any length so that, if desired, the flag 35 could be visible through the slot 3l at all times.

It is to be particularly noted that the side of the casing II is curved or slanted upwardly and inwardly (see Fig. 5). The slot 3| is placed where it is visible from both the side and top as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 respectively. In other words, a line in a vertical plane, drawn tangentially to the side of the casing ll where the slot 3l is made, would lie at an angle of substantially from the horizontal when the iron is in horizontal position.

It is to be noted also that the lai-metallic thermal element I'I lies close to the sole plate Ill and curves in a horizontal plane. It is, therefore, in uniform constant thermal relation to the sole plate. That is, it receives the same heat from the sole plate regardless of its position. In the older devices the thermal element ordinarily curled upwardly away from the sole plate when heated. This changed or alected its thermal relation to the sole plate. Consequently these older devices did not uniformly register temperature changes in the sole plate. This objection is overcome in my device by providing the thermal element in xed thermal relation to the sole plate.

While there are shown and described certain embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claim, in which it is intended to claim all novelty inherent in the invention as broadly as permissible, in View of the prior art.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

An electric iron with a heat indicator comprising a sole plate, a casting on the sole plate having an opening extending therethrough and a pair of integral arms having their ends aligned with said opening, a shaft pivotally mounted between said arms carrying an indicator arm and an actuating arm and a bimetallic thermal element lying below said arms adjacent the sole plate with one end fixed and the opposite end having an operating connection with said actuating arm.

' CHARLES I-I. SPARKLIN. 

